1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to furniture units, and more particularly to furniture units for standardized office furniture systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Office furniture manufacturers often manufacture several different product lines of office furniture systems with each product line having a different style or aesthetic appearance. Although many of the individual units of these different product lines are similar, typically each product line is independently designed and developed and component parts of each product line, although similar, are not often interchangeable. This lack of interchangeability may also be present for similar components of different furniture units within a single product line resulting in a large number of distinct components which must be inventoried and utilized in the manufacture of office furniture.
The present invention provides a standardized manufacturing system for producing a large variety of different furniture units utilizing many common components.
One of the basic building blocks of the standardized furniture system of the present invention is the use of common underlying structures for individual furniture units which may be combined in a modular office furniture system. For example, a common structure for a pedestal unit may be used as the basis for a large variety of different pedestal styles. These pedestal units are designed to permit their combination with other furniture units and components such as standard sized worksurface panels and modesty panels whereby desks and workstations may be easily manufactured by assembling these various units. The common underlying structures may be utilized to manufacture product lines having different styles by the use of distinguishable drawer fronts, doors, moldings, rails, skirting and other features.
To facilitate the compatibility of the different furniture units, the interchangeability of hardware and panels, and promote the efficient machining of the panels and other parts, a 32 millimeter grid is utilized in the design and manufacture of the common underlying structures and other furniture components. A computer assisted design/computer assisted manufacturing system (CAD/CAM system) is utilized with numeric control machinery in the design and manufacture of many of the component parts and panels of the common underlying furniture unit structures and for other panels used in the furniture system. The use of such a CAD/CAM system can greatly facilitate the efficient manufacture of furniture panels on an as needed basis.
Additionally, the present invention also provides several individual furniture parts which may be used to manufacture a common underlying structure of a furniture unit but which are adapted to permit the furniture unit to be finished in a variety of different configurations. For example, a corner bracket for bracing a corner and mounting both stationary leveler and a roller caster may be included in the standard underlying structure. This permits a single underlying structure to be used in both stationary and mobile furniture units and also facilitates the easy modification therebetween of finished furniture units.
An advantage of the present invention is that it reduces the number of furniture panels and hardware which must be inventoried and tracked during the manufacture of office furniture systems.
The present invention provides a bracket for a furniture unit and having an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate. One of the upper or the lower mounting plates provides a mount for a caster; the other mounting plate provides a mount for a leveler.
The present invention also provides a bracket for a furniture unit and having a substantially horizontal mounting plate provided with a substantially vertical aperture through which a leveler extends. The leveler is provided with means for adjusting the leveler from a location above the bracket.
The present invention also provides a bracket for a furniture unit in which the bracket includes an upper mounting plate and at least one sidewall depending therefrom. The upper mounting plate and the sidewall(s) define a chamber open from below. A caster is disposed in the chamber.
The present invention also provides a standardized future unit including at least two substantially vertical side panels. Bracing extends between the sides panels, the intersection of the bracing the side panels defining interior corners. A bracket is disposed in at least one of these interior corners and includes an upper mounting plate and a lower mounting plate, a leveler connected to the lower mounting plate, and/or a caster connected to the upper mounting plate.
The present invention also provides a standardized furniture unit including a structure having at least two substantially vertical panels, each of which has a lower edge, and bracing extending between the panels. Decorative base skirting is disposed about the structure and the furniture unit includes means excluding the skirting for supporting the furniture unit on a floor.